Depths of Friendship
by PsychicDreams
Chapter 2

The four new protectors hurried after the prince, not particularly looking forward to the class ahead.

Jadeite covertly watched Kunzite, their leader. He'd been in the Elysian Army for years, had worked his through the ranks, so he was used to having someone to report to. But over the past week, he'd learned that he would never find someone like him. He was completely focused on his duty, what he was supposed to be doing, yet at the same time, he seemed to actually care about what he was doing.

Endymion sighed as they caught up with him, and his eyes wouldn't meet the blonde's. It was without a doubt that he knew that Jadeite had accidentally overheard the argument with the King and Queen over their new assignment. The words still echoed in his head, angry in tone.

"Why did you give me guards? I'm perfectly capable of handling myself!"

Jadeite slipped nearer to the door and peered around it, suddenly anxious to avoid being seen but having a curiousness about what was going on. The King remained silent, from his expression hoping to avoid being drawn into the argument.

That was perfectly fine, since Prince Endymion didn't even seem to notice him, too intent upon his mother.

"Endymion, I'm worried about you. These four men are excellent in their talents, the best of the Army. They'll be able to help and protect you."

"But I don't need protection!"

"Maybe you don't now, but in battle, you never know. It could mean the difference between whether you live or die. I love you too much to see you die. I'd rather you didn't fight at all."

Endymion's hands balled into fists at his sides. "I'll fight to protect our world from that DarkKingdom! I won't see it fall to evil! And if I'm there, its one more person that can fight."

The Queen sighed dejectedly and she looked out the window. "I know, that Metallia is threatening our entire world and fear for it. But I also fear for you. It almost feels like this war is asking me whether I'd rather have the world or my son."

"Dear," the King whispered and put his hand on her arm, "no one would ever ask that of you. Our son is an excellent fighter; he'll be fine."

Endymion's face lit up slightly, obviously thinking that the Queen would reassign the Shitennou to some other duty.

She turned back to her son. "Please just understand me, Endymion. this gives me some peace of mind. And you never know; you may end up having close friends because of this. Please, Endymion, just try to work with these men. I'm afraid for you."

The prince's face fell and he stalked out the door and straight past Jadeite. For a moment, the blonde didn't think he even saw him. But the glance out of the corner of his eye to him told him exactly that he knew he was there. But he kept his head straight, something that Jadeite was grateful for. If the King and Queen had found out he had eavesdropped...

"Are you all right, En--I mean, Your Highness?"

He turned to his quiet question. "I'm fine. And don't call me 'Your Highness'. At this point, it doesn't matter."

Jadeite set his hand on the prince's arm and the five of them stopped walking. "Prince, do you really resent us being here?"

Three other pairs of eyes locked onto Endymion's form. "I don't resent you, but...I resent for you. Following me around and protecting me is a waste of all your great abilities, the abilities that put you in this position in the first place."

"I don't know," Zoisite murmured, his long curly hair hanging in his face even as he tied it back more securely. "I think that we'll have ample opportunity to use our abilities and I like being around you. It gives me a sense of affecting the outcome of the war without having to worry if I'll be next in line to die."

They stared at the youngest man and he looked back at them in perplexity. "What? What'd I say?"

"We'll still be fighting," Endymion answered. "I won't stop fighting against the Dark Kingdom."

"We know, but what I think worries Zoisite is that he's new and still isn't sure of his fighting abilities," Nephrite defended gently.

"Really?" Jadeite turned to the other blonde. "Did you just join the Elysian Army?"

A slight stain of red on his cheeks, as if he was slightly nervous to admit it in front of these war veterans. "Yes. I joined six months ago, when the war began."

Kunzite opened his mouth to say something, but a screeching voice overrode his. "Your Highness, you're an hour late! Must you stand there and talk all day? There are other things to be doing with your time than clacking that jaw of yours!"

"What's his problem?" demanded the white haired man as the tutor strode back into the classroom in a huff. "I wouldn't think someone would pitch such a fit if they were late once."

Endymion, with a long-suffering sigh, started walking again. "You would think so, but this isn't the first time I've been late."

"How many times have you been late?"

"I'd say ever since this class started."

Nephrite and Jadeite burst out laughing, eliciting the smallest of grins from Endymion. Kunzite didn't exactly frown, but there was no smile, as if he didn't much think it was funny.

"You don't approve?" Zoisite countered to the silence of the tall man.

"Not exactly. But it's not a matter of crisis, so there's no point in getting stiff about it."

Endymion studied him, but didn't comment.

"Have you seen Prince Endymion?"

The maid shook her head and moved on.

"Where could he have gone so fast after that class?" demanded Nephrite. "It was almost as if he disappeared...I've never seen someone leave so quickly."

"Are you General Kunzite?"

Kunzite glanced behind him, seeing a page dressed in red and gold. The herald of the King and Queen. "Yes, I am."

"Their Majesties wish to speak with the Shitennou."

It seemed that everyone but the five of them had dropped without effort to calling them "Shitennou." Kunzite still had trouble with it. He was used to working alone, rather than with a group, though he got along well with Jadeite, Nephrite, and Zoisite. With Endymion...that depended on what day it was and what was happening at the time.

The four of them exchanged glances and headed for the throne room, not relishing the thought of telling the parents that they had lost their son and had no idea where to find him.

A huge door that signaled the throne room was closed, unusually for the King and Queen. The heavy wood it was made of resembled golden brown sap that sparkled when the sunlight hit it. Designed on the door was the image of a horse.

They knelt in front of the dais, a fist over their hearts.

"Stand."

They straightened, glancing at each other as the door boomed close behind them.

"We have an assignment for you, one that you are not to tell Endymion," the King began. "Endymion disappears almost every day, and is usually gone for nearly two hours. And it doesn't matter what's happening, in the afternoon, he's just gone. We want to know where he's going in secret, but he won't talk to us. So we ask you to find out where he's going. I'm...worried about him. This war is bad enough, but for the past year, he's had this bad habit of just disappearing like this." His hand rubbed his forehead in a tired gesture.

"We'll do what we can," Kunzite assured him, after a moment of silence.

The Queen dismissed them and the last sight that he saw before the doors closed again was the woman leaning toward her husband.

~~~

End Chapter 2